2001: A Space Odyssey Review

Megan Cole
2001: A Space Odyssey
The film starts out by showing various scenes of deserts with a caption reading “The Dawn of Man.” The movie goes on by showing how apes live. One morning the apes wake up to find a rectangular black monolith right in front of their shelter. The apes were confused at first, but later one of the apes learned how to use bones as weapons and tools. The next scene shows them eating meat and taking over a watering hole from another ape tribe.
The next segment of the film is about Dr. Heywood R. Floyd flying out to a space station. He is there to study another monolith that has been discovered on the moon. Floyd and a few others from the moon base ride out to the site. Once there, they walk around the monolith, observing it. The group gathers for a picture with the strange artifact but it starts to emit a high-pitched tone. The last scene is the sun rising over the monolith, then, the screen goes black.
The next scene is of a spaceship with the caption “Jupiter Mission: Eighteen Months Later.” Aboard are two pilots and three scientists. The scientists are closed away in hibernation. The ships operations are controlled by artificial intelligence called HAL 9000. It is stated many times in the film that the HAL 9000 series are completely error free, and that any failed computer is due to human error. HAL talks to one of the pilots, Dave, about the mission they are embarking on. During their talk, Hal states that the unit controlling the communication to earth will fail within 72 hours.
The other pilot, Frank, goes out and replaces the unit. Meanwhile, Frank, nor Dave, can figure out what is wrong with the old unit. They talk with Earth-based ground control and suggest that Hal has made a mistake. Frank and Dave are once again informed that the HAL 9000 computers have a perfect operational record, and it is just a small glitch that can be fixed. The Hal computer aboard the ship says that they should put the unit back and let it fail. Before replacing the units, Dave and Frank go into a pod and talk about disconnecting Hal. What they don’t know is that Hal is reading their lips through the window of the pod.
Hal begins to turn on the crew of the Jupiter mission. He snips Frank’s oxygen cord while he is trying to replace the units, and he terminates the hibernating scientists. In the meantime, Dave goes out to retrieve Frank, but Hal will not let him back inside the ship. Dave makes his way in through the emergency air lock and begins to disconnect Hal.
The next part of the film, Dave leaves in a pod and encounters a monolith around Jupiter. He begins to speed through a tunnel of light and finds himself in a bedroom. He sees himself getting older until he is lying on the bed with the monolith at his feet. He is then transformed into a fetus floating next to earth.
My first reaction to the movie was I did not like it at all. I am used to faster paced movies with more action and dialogue. This movie was extremely slow and I did not think there was much conversation as a movie nowadays. It was also hard for me to understand what was going on. After the first time watching it, I just stared at the screen with a puzzled look because I was so confused. I had to search for reviews and summaries of the film to grasp an understanding.
Even though it was not my favorite, I was quite impressed with the special effects and intelligence behind the film. The spacecrafts and the HAL 9000, was very unique and futuristic. I found it a bit disturbing when the computer started killing its passengers. A machine with that much intelligence can obviously be dangerous. I also did not like the beginning of the movie. Simply because I do not believe in evolution, I actually strongly disagree with it. The last few scenes were also a bit out there for my taste. I did not understand that Bowman was the man in the house, and that it was him that was shown getting older and eventually turning into a fetus. I still do not understand the significance of that transformation or the point that was trying to be made.

Another Update

Our project is coming along great. My group worked on it for a couple of hours yesterday during the original class hours. We made a lot of progress. We have all of our pictures together along with interesting facts and ways that college students can help be green on college campuses. The only thing we really need to do is add the song and just do some touch ups to make it nice.

Update on Project

Our project is still going really well. We have taken most of our pictures and we are taking a few more today. I also found some fun facts about recycling that we might include in our video. All we need to do is get our pictures put together into a video format. I think we are going to be using Windows Movie Maker. Nobody in our group has a specific job. We are all helping each other out with taking pictures, finding information, and putting the video together. Four heads are better than one!

Going Green!

For our group project, "going green" seemed like an ideal topic. It is beginning to be very popular around college campuses and work places. Our job is to inform other college students of what they can do on a college campus to help keep this planet clean. We are going to make a video with examples of "going green" acts. It will be humorous and keep the attention of the audience watching. We will also post it on YouTube so others can watch and become part of this huge task. We will explain the positive effects that being green has on society and also some consequences that can result from not doing your part.

Media and Design...HEYO!!

Basically, what chapter 47 of the Norton Field Guide to Writing is about is what kinds of designs are there to choose from. It had bullet points to state which elements are the most important. These include type, layout, paragraphs, lists, headings, and white space. I'm a visual type of person. I like to see things and how they happen. That's why it's kind of difficult for me to read a huge text that is just words. I like things that show me what I'm reading such as graphs or charts. Chapter 48 is about spoken texts, which I don't even want to think about. I absolutely hate giving speeches. They are not my forte at all. In the book, it states that you should speak clearly, pause for emphasis, avoid reading the presentation, stand up straight and look at the audience, use gestures, and practice. For me, though, no matter how much I practice, I always seem to violate these rules for public speaking. Chapter 49 talks about electronic texts, such as websites or e-mail. In the book, it listed key features for e-mail on page 478 and key features for websites on page 479. Long story short, it needs to be clear and organized.

The Beginning and the End

I was always told in elementary school all through high school that the beginning paragraph of a paper is the most important. If you didn't catch the reader's attention within the first few sentences, then it is likely that he or she will not read your paper. Once again, that concept is put into my mind. In the readings for chapter 28, it states that the beginning and the end are the most important parts of a paper. We want to be able to catch the reader's attention, and then leave them satisfied at the end. All their questions are answered, and they have a better understanding of whatever it was that he or she read. I always begin my papers with a question, some sort of backgroung information about my topic, or an interesting fact. My thesis statement is always the last sentence of the first paragraph. It's a good location to start the argument of my paper. A good ending is important also. The book states that "they're the last words readers read." I think that means that whatever the ending words are, the reader will remember those the most. I was always taught that the first sentence of my last paragraph should be a restatement of my thesis. It's just like a cross country race, you have to finish strong. To give an idea of what the reader will be reading, it's good to point out little hints. And when I say hints, I'm talking about a good title, thesis statement, and topic sentences. Once again, in high school, I was taught that every first sentence of a paragraph should be an overview of what the paragraph is going to be about.

Causes and Effects: Which Are Most Efficient?

Cause and effect are big factors that make or break an argument. There are strong points and weak points within cause and effects. It's sometimes hard for me to choose which would be the best to support whatever I am arguing. The book stated that "you will always need to qualify what you say about causes and effects-to say that something could explain or that it suggests." I think that statement is very impotant because most of us do not have the authority to determine whether something will cause something else to happen. The book showed three different ways to organize cause and effect situations. "1. Idenitfy a cause and then discuss its effects. 2. Identify an effect and then trace its causes. 3. Identify a chain of causes and effects leading from one to another." I would probably most likely use the first or third one the most in my writings. Iliked the oreo demonstration in the book : ) and how it classifies the different types of oreos. The book mentioned two ways to compare and contrast. Their names are the block method, and the point by point method. I would personally use the point by point method because I think it gets the point across in a stronger sense. I also like to use figurative language to try to instill a mental image in the reader's mind.

Strategies for Reading

In chapter 38 of The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings, it talks about different reading strategies. The first paragraph explains how there are different ways to reading. I thought there was just one, you read and that's that. But reading a newspaper or a cookbook is a lot different than reading a chemistry or history book. The book states, and I agree with this, that before you start reading you should skim the text to get a feel for what you're going to be reading about. For me, it helps me focus on the text a little more and I won't have wondering thoughts. I'll be able to comprehend what I'm reading. The book also states that you should write down your first reactions to the text. I've never done this but I can see how it will help with writing an analysis. I'm not going to lie, when I first saw the word "annotating" I had no idea what it was. When I found out what it meant, I realized I do it all the time when I read for school. It's basically just highlighting and taking notes. I had never heard of the believing and doubting game before. Where you act like you believe everything the author says, and then you doubt everything the author says. I can totally see how that would create new ideas and questions. Thinking about what the text says/does and summarizing are ways to create new ideas, questions, and perspectives also. Some things the book says to consider when analyzing a text are the claim, support for the claim, evenly addressed issues, oustide sources used, and how the author addresses the reader. The book also addresses issues with fallacies. Some things to look out for are ad hominem, bandwagon appeals, begging the question, either-or arguments, false analogies, faulty casuality, hasty generalizations, and slippery slope.

Text Analysis

Rhetorical analysis occurs in our lives everyday. Whether we are reading the newspaper or a magazine, watching the news or a television show, or just simply having a conversation with someone. We analyze it and interpret it in our own ways. We have different points of view and a different stance of the topic. We also have reasons that support our way of thinking about the subject. Writing a rhetorical analysis is pretty much the same thing we do in our heads, only we put it on paper.

The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings states that it is good to analyze a type of text that "suits the demands of the assignment." You shouldn't choose a text that is too large or too brief. In my own opinion, I think it is best to go with something that interests you. Even if the audience knows about the subject, I think it is still good to do some kind of summary on it; just so it is fresh in the audience's mind when they read the rest of your analysis. I agree with the book in that you should put a part of the text you are analyzing somewhere in your paper. The next step seems pretty simple. All you do is tell what you think of the text and give an interpretation of it in your own words. Of course, use reasons and examples from the text to support your way of thinking and feelings about the text. The book also said something about doing more research on your text. Look up information about the author and his or her feelings about the subject. The book also said that it's better to write the body of the paper first, then go back and write the beginning and the ending. And of course, the whole revising and proofreading deal. Have someone read it, or read it to him or her, and get a response on how to better your paper.

Editing and Proofreading Papers

Editing and proofreading are the "polishing up" part of the whole writing process. When editing, it's good to edit paragraphs, then sentences, then words. Make sure each paragraph has a topic sentence or main point, or at least relates to the previous paragraph. It's best to put the most important information either at the beginning or end of the paragraph, that way, the readers will remember what they read. When editing sentences, make sure every sentence is complete. Be sure to use the appropriate voice. Begin your sentences with a variety of words. When editing words, be sure the reader will be able to define all the words you used. Make sure you're not too general or too elaborate, and use pronouns clearly. Try not to use any cliches and don't use words that could be sexist or taken offense to. When proofreading, read it aloud to yourself and in front of other people. Then have someone else read it aloud to you. Use the spelling and grammar check but also go through it yourself. This is the most important part of the writing process. It's a chance to clean up your work and make it shine!

Assessing One's Own Writing and Getting Repsonses

Being able to assess your own writing is a good skill to have. People are constantly assessing your writing whether is be a paper, a speech, a poem, or even just during small talk. Sometimes, the best thing to do when assessing your own writing is to not do it. A lot of us tend to write in our own ways; ways in which only we can understand. When reading over your piece of writing, it's good to see if it makes sense to you as well as the audience. This goes back to considering the rhetorical situation. Know the purpose, who the audience is, the genre, your stance, and your design. Make sure your thesis covers the entire piece in one sentence. It's basically an overview of what the writing is going to convey. If the audience doesn't know much about the purpose, be sure to explain yourself and help them understand in every way possible. Make sure it is organized, easy to follow, and clear.

To get a response to your writing, it's best to have another pair of eyes look it over. The title and first sentence really need to jump out at the reader to get their attention. Once you get a response, it's time to revise. What can you do different to make your writing even better? more clear? or more interesting? Reread the writing yourself and think of ways to rewrite it. Rewrite a narrative to a dailogue. Rewrite a report to a different audience. Rewrite a draft to make it into a story, a letter, or a comedy sketch. There are many ways to write a certain topic. It's up to you to decide which will be more appealing and draw in the audience.

Helpful Hints to Writing a Narrative

Writing a draft can have a lot of writing to it, such as outlines, notes, and lists. It's important to set up a schedule and have a certain amount of time for each step in writing a paper. Your best writing will come out when you're in a comfortable setting. To start a draft, it's best to freewrite about the topic. It's good to write the entire draft in one sitting, that way all your thoughts and ideas will come out at once. Sometimes you have to write one paragragh at a time, or one sentence at a time. The good thing about writing a first draft is that you can go back and change things. If you have writer's block, go back to trying to freewrite, or make a list of what you want to say. Having specific detail and descriptions, I think, is crucial in a piece of writing. It's what brings it to life and gives the audience a mental picture. Organize your descriptions in a way that the audience can alomst feel what you felt at that time. When writing a narrative, writers usually order events in chronological order, reverse chronological order, or as a flashback. Time markers and transitions help keep the reader on track. Narratives are a good way to begin or to end an essay. It draws the reader in. Another way to keep the reader interested is by using dialogue. As the book states, "Dialogue is a way of bringing in voices other than your own, of showing people and scenes rather than just telling about them."

Coming Up With Ideas/Narratives

Freewriting seems simple but difficult at the same time. Writing about anything for 5-10 minutes can hard if you have nothing to say. Looping seems easier just because you know about the subject you're writing about. I think I like listing the best. I'm better at just writing a couple words down, then adding sentences from there. Clustering is like what I always had to do in elementary, middle, and high school. It's just another way of organizing ideas and putting things together. Cubing has six sides to it; describe, compare, classify, analyze, apply, and argue. Answer the questions what? who? when? where? why? how? I always like to make an outline before I start writing. It keeps me on track. I also like the formal outline better just because it seems more organized and easier to read.

All the literacy narratives we had to read had a clear purpose. Some began with stories, others began with a little bit of background information. In all these narratives, you got to know the author. It was easy to identify the author's significance of his/her story. The stances were different in each one also. In the first one, written by Tanya Barrientos, I could tell that she was very distraught for not knowing any Spanish. She felt very out of place and seemed determined to "become" Latino, even though she already was, but didn't view herself that way. Once again, all the narratives had vivid details, which is part of writing a narrative. Some were hard for me to comprehend at first, probably because I wasn't the "right" audience for it.

Important Situations to Remember When Writing

Writing is more than just putting words onto a piece of paper. It requires thought and a lot of inventing ideas in one's head. There are many aspects to consider. Any piece of writing has a purpose. There will always be something that strikes the reader, even if it's not very strong. Taking into account who will be reading one's writing is also a major factor. It probably won't be a good idea to write a horror story for little kids. There are so many different genres to choose from when writing. For me, it's all about tone when choosing a genre. I try to pick one that will get my point across in a positive, but straight-forward way. It's good to know who the audience is, that way, one will have a good idea on how to present her ideas or thoughts. Every once in awhile I like to get a little creative and add photos to my piece of writing. It seems to bring a little something extra to the table.

Narratives are, in my opinion, the most unique and intriguing genre of writing. Stories, whether they be true or fictional, always seem to catch my attention, especially those that keep me waiting for an answer. Vivid detail, which is one of the key features to literacy narratives, is my favorite part. I love being able to create images in my head based on the author's words. Writing a narrative is a systematic process. You must choose a topic, consider the rhetorical, create ideas, outline what you're going to write, write a rough draft, consider the design or layout, revise, edit, and proofread, then write the final draft.